Jeremy Bernfeld
jeremybernfeld.bsky.social
Jeremy Bernfeld
@jeremybernfeld.bsky.social
I'm the investigations editor at The Public's Radio, RI's NPR station. Used to be editor of Guns & America, director of collaborative reporting at WAMU, Harvest Public Media. I like your dog. he/him
NEW: 2 of the companies being sued by RI over the closure of the westbound Washington Bridge say the state didn't tell them about concerns engineers raised about the bridge decades before they were hired for a rehabilitation project.

thepublicsradio.org/economy/two-...
Two companies being sued over the Washington Bridge claim the state never flagged the bridge’s problems - TPR: The Public's Radio
Two of the companies being sued by the state of Rhode Island over the closure of the westbound Washington Bridge say the state did not tell them about concerns engineers raised about the bridge decade...
thepublicsradio.org
June 12, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Experts @ripbs-tpr.bsky.social spoke to said the state could have conducted tests to get a good look at the post-tensioning system. But it doesn't appear RIDOT conducted those tests in the decade prior to the closure.
For more, check out our story here 3/

thepublicsradio.org/local/washin...
Washington Bridge: Did Rhode Island miss critical warning signs ahead of the 2023 crisis? - TPR: The Public's Radio
When the westbound Washington Bridge was suddenly shut down in December 2023, never to re-open, many wondered if the crisis could have been prevented. An investigation by Rhode Island PBS and The Publ...
thepublicsradio.org
June 12, 2025 at 2:49 PM
In 1992 engineers hired by the state warned of issues with the Washington Bridge's post-tension system. They were worried about corrosion -- a known problem in post-tensioning systems. 2/
June 12, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Just a rando No Dunks fan here, but I love the way you stan your godson.
Toretto would be proud (it’s about family)
May 24, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Want to learn more about why Rhode Island is the only state in the country without the ability to strip certifications from police officers accused of misconduct? Check out our story.
thepublicsradio.org/criminal-jus...
Rhode Island resists efforts at policing reform embraced by every other state - TPR: The Public's Radio
In October, a Newport County jury found that former Jamestown Police Det. Derek Carlino was negligent in his involvement in the death by suicide of a teenager. But it won’t end Carlino’s career in pol...
thepublicsradio.org
May 1, 2025 at 3:53 PM
This opacity "...makes it very difficult to monitor police misconduct occurring in the state,” according to Steven Brown
@riaclu.bsky.social. We talked to police misconduct experts who said the same thing. 6/
May 1, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Police departments that encompass nearly 30% of officers in the state are exempt from review altogether. That means transfers into these departments go completely unreviewed by any outside authority. That includes the Providence Police Department.
5/
May 1, 2025 at 3:52 PM
The commission that oversees police officers in RI has rejected a transfer application just once in 3+ years. We found instances of approved transfers of officers with serious public allegations of misconduct.
4/
May 1, 2025 at 3:52 PM
There’s little that would prevent a problem officer from having their RI training recognized by another state and receiving a state certification elsewhere - even if that officer left RI under a cloud.
3/
May 1, 2025 at 3:51 PM
So much police officer oversight in RI depends on idividual police chiefs. We depend on them to investigate and discipline misconduct. And when hiring, to unearth any disqualifying past deeds. Qualifying/disqualifying officers is almost all on them.
2/
May 1, 2025 at 3:51 PM
(And feel better!)
December 5, 2024 at 3:16 PM
December 5, 2024 at 3:15 PM
Best ad for AI I’ve ever seen!
December 4, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Gave me a bit of a start this morning over my coffee!
December 4, 2024 at 7:11 PM